05-09-2006, 04:31 PM
Life in New Zealand is a great experience for us after coming from the hustle and bustle of the “City of Gold†– Johannesburg.
Imagine a country where time seems to move at a slower pace than the rest of the world :am: . A country where work finishes at 5.00 pm and the weekend lasts from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Imagine a country where people still have the time to chat and pass the time of day when they pass each other in the street. :thumbs:
New Zealand, with all due respect, is like South Africa many years ago. Less fast paced, more friendly, good services, good schools, not so commercialised and not so materialistic. The one major difference is the wooden structures, as opposed to brick houses in South Africa, which takes some getting used to
ue: . Houses in Wellington are also smaller and often almost on top of each other, with a lack of privacy, compared to what we were used to. But that depends on where you rent/buy. We managed to find a very cosy place that borders the outskirts of the city, close to the bush area.
New Zealand is a country where you can still find a “grey†(volcanic sand) sandy beach with a crystal blue oceanurfing: and you're the only person in sight. We have found that you can be driving through spectacularly beautiful countryside less than an hour from being in the hustle and bustle of a major city like Wellington. When the weather is fine, we often picnic beside a mountain stream with majestic green hills behind us.
New Zealand offers one the opportunity to be close to streams, lakes and harbours that feature some of the best fishing in the world, and safe boating for everything from speedboats to ocean going yachts. Or mountains with breathtaking ski-fields or ancient forests with trees that are thousands of years old
For my family and me, it is a country that has the charm of yesterday with the excitement and opportunities of tomorrow. A country where we enjoy the luxuries and pleasures of 21st century Western civilisation at a pace that we lost many years ago. Hard to imagine?
New Zealand is a sport loving nation, and aside from the obvious passion for Rugby there are a wide range of other sports that can be enjoyed. You probably know that Rugby is a very big part of the Kiwi lifestyle, February to November NZ stops most Saturday nights for The Game which is played at venues in most major centres with live coverage on Sky TV. A Kiwi ritual, I am learning about, is gathering at pubs and watching the game on the big TVs that a lot of pubs have, and the atmosphere can be brilliant. :celeb:
One thing that really differentiates Rugby from Soccer is how the crowd behaves. Even when arch rivals meet (the archest of rivals are Canterbury and Auckland or vs. any Australian team) there is a lot of light hearted abuse but the two teams supporters will usually drink a toast to the victors together with violence and aggression completely unheard of. After a game the only thing the Police need to do is direct traffic, so you can enjoy a game in complete safety.
We hope you enjoy the write up of “Life in the Land of the Long White Cloud†and hope you will choose this “majestic†place as one of your holiday destinations.
:hols: :yes:
Imagine a country where time seems to move at a slower pace than the rest of the world :am: . A country where work finishes at 5.00 pm and the weekend lasts from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Imagine a country where people still have the time to chat and pass the time of day when they pass each other in the street. :thumbs:
New Zealand, with all due respect, is like South Africa many years ago. Less fast paced, more friendly, good services, good schools, not so commercialised and not so materialistic. The one major difference is the wooden structures, as opposed to brick houses in South Africa, which takes some getting used to
ue: . Houses in Wellington are also smaller and often almost on top of each other, with a lack of privacy, compared to what we were used to. But that depends on where you rent/buy. We managed to find a very cosy place that borders the outskirts of the city, close to the bush area.New Zealand is a country where you can still find a “grey†(volcanic sand) sandy beach with a crystal blue ocean
urfing: and you're the only person in sight. We have found that you can be driving through spectacularly beautiful countryside less than an hour from being in the hustle and bustle of a major city like Wellington. When the weather is fine, we often picnic beside a mountain stream with majestic green hills behind us.New Zealand offers one the opportunity to be close to streams, lakes and harbours that feature some of the best fishing in the world, and safe boating for everything from speedboats to ocean going yachts. Or mountains with breathtaking ski-fields or ancient forests with trees that are thousands of years old
For my family and me, it is a country that has the charm of yesterday with the excitement and opportunities of tomorrow. A country where we enjoy the luxuries and pleasures of 21st century Western civilisation at a pace that we lost many years ago. Hard to imagine?
New Zealand is a sport loving nation, and aside from the obvious passion for Rugby there are a wide range of other sports that can be enjoyed. You probably know that Rugby is a very big part of the Kiwi lifestyle, February to November NZ stops most Saturday nights for The Game which is played at venues in most major centres with live coverage on Sky TV. A Kiwi ritual, I am learning about, is gathering at pubs and watching the game on the big TVs that a lot of pubs have, and the atmosphere can be brilliant. :celeb:
One thing that really differentiates Rugby from Soccer is how the crowd behaves. Even when arch rivals meet (the archest of rivals are Canterbury and Auckland or vs. any Australian team) there is a lot of light hearted abuse but the two teams supporters will usually drink a toast to the victors together with violence and aggression completely unheard of. After a game the only thing the Police need to do is direct traffic, so you can enjoy a game in complete safety.
We hope you enjoy the write up of “Life in the Land of the Long White Cloud†and hope you will choose this “majestic†place as one of your holiday destinations.
:hols: :yes: